Highland Reading Buddies

Highland Students Get Involved In #theClarkstonStory

Posted on 12/29/2015

Inspired by the district’s new #theClarkstonStory
campaign, Highland Elementary student teacher, Samantha Hooker,
initiated a new partnership between grade levels in her school. The
theme for the month of November in #theClarkstonStory was “Partnering With the Community.”
Samantha chose to take the first steps to engage in this campaign by
finding a way to partner within her own school building community.

In
December, Samantha coordinated with a Highland Kindergarten teacher to
develop a new Reading Buddies opportunity at the school. On Tuesday,
December 15, Samantha’s second grade students read to a class of
kindergarteners. The experience was a highlight for both grade levels,
with many students asking when their next Reading Buddies time is
scheduled.

“It
was a beautiful sight to see!” Samantha stated. She hopes to continue
the grade level partnership with the start of the new semester so that
Reading Buddies becomes a weekly occurrence.

Not only did the reading activity fit the theme of partnering with the community, but it also doubled with December’s theme of Early Learning.
Birth through grade three is generally categorized as early learning in
Washington State and across the US. By creating an opportunity for
second grade students to read to kindergarteners, Highland teachers were
able to actively engage these early learners.

To learn more about #theClarkstonStory and how you can get involved, Contact the Communications Department at 509.544.5787 or CurtissM@csdk12.org.